System and method for detecting symptoms of hypoglycemia

Abstract

An improved system and method for detecting a hypoglycemic event of a diabetic individual is provided. The system of the invention includes at least three sensors for monitoring the respective physiological parameter selected from the following list: heart rate, motorial activity, respiring rate, vasoconstriction, temperature of the skin and galvanic resistance of the skin of the user. The system automatically alerts the user and/or a member of medical care personnel in a case that at least three different symptoms of a hypoglycemic event, each of which associated with a respective physiological parameter, simultaneously occur. According to the method of the present invention basal levels and basal rates of changes of the respective physiological parameters are generated and repeatedly updated. These basal levels and/or rates provides for detecting changes that go beyond predefined limits for determining a symptom of a hypoglycemic event which is associated with the respective physiological parameter.

1 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A method for non-invasively detecting a hypoglycemic event, the method comprising:
 detecting a level of heart rate, motorial activity, peripheral vasoconstriction, and skin resistance;   comparing the detected levels of each of the heart rate, motorial activity, peripheral vasoconstriction, and skin resistance to a respective scale and assigning a respective score to each of the detected heart rate, motorial activity, peripheral vasoconstriction, and skin resistance; and   determining a hypoglycemic event when a combined score calculated from the respective scores reaches a predefined value.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein when a hypoglycemic event is determined an alarm is triggered. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the respective scale of each of the heart rate, motorial activity, peripheral vasoconstriction, and skin resistance is predefined or experimentally derived. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the score of the skin resistance is normalized to changes in ambient temperature. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein detecting a level of heart rate, motorial activity, peripheral vasoconstriction, and skin resistance is performed by three sensors. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the three sensors comprise: a skin resistance sensor, an accelerometer, and a light detector. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the light detector is configured to detect heart rate, peripheral vasoconstriction or both. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the three sensors are incorporated into a single wearable unit. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the single wearable unit is a wristwatch. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein detecting a level of heart rate, motorial activity, vasoconstriction, and skin resistance is performed by two sensors. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the two sensors comprise: a skin resistance sensor and a light detector. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the light detector is configured to detect heart rate, peripheral vasoconstriction, motorial activity or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the two sensors are incorporated into a single wearable unit. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the single wearable unit is a wristwatch. 
     
     
         26 . A system for non-invasively detecting a hypoglycemic event, said system comprising:
 at least two sensors configured to detect levels of heart rate, motorial activity, peripheral vasoconstriction, and skin resistance;   a processor configured to:   compare each of the detected levels of the heart rate, motorial activity, peripheral vasoconstriction, and skin resistance with respective scales,   assign a respective score to each of the heart rate, motorial activity, peripheral vasoconstriction, and skin resistance; and   determine a hypoglycemic event when a combined score, calculated from the respective scores, reaches a predefined value.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , further comprising an alarm configured to be activated when a hypoglycemic event is determined. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the scale of each of the heart rate, motorial activity, peripheral vasoconstriction, and skin resistance is predefined or experimentally derived. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the score of the skin resistance is normalized to changes in ambient temperature. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein said at least two sensors comprise: a skin resistance sensor, an accelerometer and a light detector. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein said light detector is configured to detect heart rate, peripheral vasoconstriction or both. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein said at least two sensors comprise: a skin resistance sensor and a light detector. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein said light detector is configured to detect heart rate, vasoconstriction, motorial activity or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein said at least two sensors are incorporated into a single wearable unit. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein said single wearable unit is a wristwatch. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 26 , configured to detect said level of heart rate, said motorial activity, said peripheral vasoconstriction, and said skin resistance using only two sensors: a skin resistance sensor and a light detector.